Method of forming axles



S. F. BORKEY.

METHOD 0F FORMI'NG AXLES.

APPLICATION man luNE 7, 19mA 2 SHEETS-SHEE @blicas/neg s. F. BORKEY. METHOD OF FORMING AXLES. APPLICATION FILED IUNE 7.1917.

115,353,498?, Pamedsep. 2009192@ 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT erica.

STEPHEN 4E. BORKEY, OF FLINT, MICHGAN.

METHOD 0F FORMING AXLES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application tiled lune 7, 1917. Serial No. 173,414.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN F. BoRKEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at. Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Forming Axles, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

'The invention relates to the manufacture of vehicle axles and more particularly to front axles or construction designed for the mounting Aof steering-wheel spindles at opposite ends thereof. Such axles are usually formed by a process in which the opposite ends are successively re-fashioned by dropforging. It is important that the axles should be of exact length, but it is difficult 'to secure such accuracy where the fashioning of the ends is in successive operations.

I have therefore devised a method and ap- Another feature of the invention is the means for re-fashioning the spring-pads of the axle simultaneously with the operation for securing accuracy in length.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the machine for operating upon the axle;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in section; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Axles of the character described usually are formed with a central section A, which is of an I-beam or other structural shape. At opposite ends of this central beam section are bifurcated portions B and B which form the bearings for the axle spindles, and spring-pads@ and C are formed on the upper face of the beam adjacent to the bifurcated ends thereof. Broadly described, my improved method comprises the fashioning of the opposite ends of the axle to the desired form without attempting to secure exact uniformity in length, but with the ceny the axle, the spring-pads are simultaneously fashioned, but for convenience they are made symmetrical on opposite sides of the axle beam. This is not, however, the shape which is desired in the finished product, as the pad should he tilted with respect to the central plane of the beam and given a slightly concave form on its upper face, which shape would be difiicult to form by the drop-forging process. I therefore provide means for re-fashioning the same and imparting thereto the desired contour at the same time that the axle beam is stretched. lVhile the method may be carried out with various constructions of apparatus I preferably employ the construction shown, which is as follows: A is the bed of a press which has mounted thereon the revoluble shaft B2 carrying cranks C2 connected b pitman-rods l) with a sliding cross-head F is a work-holder extending transversely of the bed and bearing against an abutment (i thereon which is opposed to the movement of the sliding head E. This workholder includes a stationary, transverselyextending guide and a pair of clamping heads ll slidable upon said guide and engageable with the axle. As specifically shown, these clamping heads have upper and lower die-members l and J for embracing the beam adjacent to the pads, a clamping-lever l having a cam L for bearing on the upper die and a hinged or pivoted membei' M for said lever and cam rockable to a position permitting the engagement and disengagement of the work, and in operating position connected to the lower die-member by a link N. The arrangement is such that the axle may be engaged with the upper and lower die-members l and J when the lever K is in the position K', Fig. 2, and by then rocking said lever and mounting M to the position shown at K2 the link N may be engaged with a pin L, coupling the same to the lower die-member. The lever K may then be rocked upon its mounting M so as to cause the cam L to clamp the upper diemember I upon the work.

Each of the clamping heads H is preferably provided with an anti-friction roll 0. which is in the path of a cam member l) carried by the sliding head E. This cam member P has a tapering end portion P for passing between the rolls O and for then forcing them in opposite directions, thereby effecting a sliding movement of the heads H. As these heads when clamped tothe roll are adjacent to the spring-pads C and C', the latter will act as stops or shoulders, and therefore as soon as these shoulders contact with the heads H any further movement of said heads must necessarily stretch the axle.

The cam P is preferably bifurcated, the furcations thereof passing above. and below the axle and engaging with pairs of rolls O so as to 'exert a stretching force symmetrically with res ect to the longitudinal axis of the axle. n opposite sides of the cams P are forming dies Q which contact with the pads C and C simultaneously with or immediately succeeding the stretching operation. These forming dies, as shown are of a shape to re-.fashion the axle pads, imparting thereto they desired tilt and concavity.

In operation, the axles which have been first formed of variable length between the opposite end portions thereof are brought to size by heating to the proper temperature and then placing in the machine, as has been described. 1When motion is imparted to the` cross-head through the medium of the pitman D and crank C2 the bifurcated cams P will first engage the rolls O and force the clamping heads H upon the transverse guide F in opposite directions. These clamping heads will slide upon the axle until the shoulders formed by the pads C and C come into contact with the 'coperating bearings on the clamps, after which the axle is stretched until the clamps are forced to the limits of their respectivemovements. It will be understood that the pads C and C are always in exactly predetermined relation to the bifurcated ends of the axle, as they are formed in the same loperation and by-the same dies. Consequently, whatever the' original length of the axle may be, after this stretching operation there will be an exact dimension between the bifurcated ends; also the pads will be re-fashioned to l the proper contour. t

yWhat I claim as my invention is: 1. The method of forming axles, comprising the successive fashioning of opposite end portions thereof with an intermediate portion of less than the required length, and subsequently stretching the intermediate portion to secure an exact dimension between the fashioned ends.

2. The method of forming axles, comprising the fashioningof the end portions thereof successively to exact form, said fashioned end portions including the springpads and the portions intermediate the fashioned ends being of less than the required length, subsequently stretching the intermediate portion to secure an exact dimension between the pads, and re-fashioning said pads to the desired contour,

3. The method of forming axles, comprising the drop-forging of opposite end portions thereof to impart thereto an exact form, the portion intermediate said ends being of less than the required length, and subsequently stretching the intermediate portion by means engaging the exactlyformed portion, whereby an exact dimension is secured between the ends of the latter.

4. The method of forming axles, comprising the drop-forging of the opposite end portions thereof to form bifurcated spindle bearings and axle-pads, theI portions intermediatesaid drop-forged portions being of less than the required length, subsequently stretching the intermediate portion by the spreading of means engaging the exactlyformed portions, and re-fashioning the pads.

5. The method of forming axles, comprising the fashioning thereof with an intermediate portion of less than the required length and the subsequent stretching of said intermediate portion to secure an exact length thereof. Y

6. That improvement in the art of forming axles, which consists in forging the end portions thereof to exact length, holding said end portions against angular movement in respect to each other, and stretching only that portion of said axle between said end portions to an accurate dimension while the end portions are so held.

v7. That improvement in the art of forming axles having divided end portions, which consists in forglng the end portions to exact length with the intermediate portion different from the desired length, thereafter re heating the axle and applying force to said end portions to move one in respect to the other to establish the desired exact distance therebetween and an accurate alinement of one end -portion with the other.

8. That improvement in the art of forming axles having spring pads and divided end portions, which lconsists in forging the end portions and the spring pads'to accurate dimensions, measured lengthwise of the axle, with the intermediate portion slightly shorter than the desired length, re-heating the axle,` and stretching the heated axle while the end portions are held in proper ing axles having spring pads and divided i ,esegesi end portions, which consists in forging the Said relation, stretching the 1neated aide and end portions and the spring pads toY accu- :re-forging the spring pad-s. lo rate dimensions, measured length-Wise of .in testimony whereof affix my signature the arde, with the intermediate portion in presence oi two Witnesses.

'slightly shorter than the desired length, reu STEPHEN BUREY. heating the axle, bending the end portions fi'fitnesses: of the not axle aoourateh' into alinement GUY NONENMACHER,

with each other and inninzining them in D. R. MCLAIIT. 

